Ever Wanted to Own a Restaurant? The Delmont Steakhouse is ‘Free.’
Delmont is a town of less than 300 people in southeast South Dakota about 23 miles northeast of Wagner and 16 miles northwest of Tripp. A devastating tornado swept through Delmont on Mother's Day 2015. The Lutheran church and several houses were destroyed. The small town is still in the process of rebuilding.
The town is home to the Bluebird Locker. There's a gas station and a post office. At one time, Delmont had two places to grab a bite to eat. Today, both restaurants are closed. If one man has his way, the Delmont Steakhouse will soon reopen.
According to our news partner KDLT, Leo Holzbauer currently owns the steakhouse but is unable to run it on a regular basis, so he is giving someone the chance to take over the business for free.
These are Holzbauer's terms:
All they have to do is have a clean business place, good food and a friendly atmosphere. If the owner follows those requirements as well as pays a monthly share of the annual cost of insurance, taxes and liquor license for a total of 5 years, then the place is theirs. I’ll just give them the whole situation no interest, no payments, no nothing.
Can a steakhouse survive in a small town in South Dakota? Absolutely. If you have good food, people will come. Look at Whimp's in Burbank, SD or Toby's in Meckling, South Dakota. Those towns are smaller than Delmont, but people drive miles for the food. It can be done. It just needs the right person. Are you that right person?
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